Coupled vehicle.



G N R DI S N. W

ations,

M45/wg 1,209,774. Pntnted Dec. 26,1916.

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W. N. SPRINGER.

COUPLED VEH'ICLE. APPLICATION min oc. lo. non. nintvli uAY ls. me.

1 ,209.774. Patented Deo. 26, 1916.

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l I 10 I I WILLIAM N.

SIBINGEB, OF PEORIA, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO AVERY COMPANY, A.

CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

COU'PLED VEHICLE.

Original application tiled March 8,

1908, Serial No.

To all lwhom it lmay concern.'

Be it known that I, WILLIAM N. SPRINGER, a citizen of the United States, residin at Peoria, in the county of Peoria and tate of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Coupled Vehicles, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

The invention relates to improvements in coupled vehicles such as a traction engine and a ang plow frame, tender, or the like, couple thereto.

One object of the invention is the provision of Improved steering mechanism for the two vehicles, the steering mechanism of the tractor and that of the trailing vehicle being constructed in such a manner and connected with each other in such a manner that the two mechanisms are actuated in unison to effectively ide the trailing vehicle in the path of tie tractor, and undue stresses in and sudden shocks to the steering apparatus incident to passage over roug surfaces are obviated.

My improvements are especially useful in connection with engine drawn gang plows, and, in the illustrative embodiment of the invention shown in the accompanying drawings, the trailing vehicle is the main frame of a gang plow.

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a plow frame and of a. portion of a traction engine to which the frame is coupled. Fig. 2 1s a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the gang-plow frame. Fig. 4 is a rear end view of the same. Fi 5 shows the steering wheel for the gang-p ow frame and its mountingdetached. Fi 6 is a side elevation of the steering whee and frame parts, shown in Fig. 5, a portion of the frame and bearing structure being broken away and shown in section. Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic view of a part of the steerin mechanism for controlling said wheel which is arranged both on the tractor and the gan -plow frame. 'Fig 8 is an enlarged detail view` of' the anchors or fastening devices of the'steering chains.

Speoiiieation ot Lettere Patent.

1806, Serial No. 804,855. Divided and this application led October 10, 457,115. Renewed Mey 18, 1916. Serial No. 97,982.

Patented Dec. 26, 1916.

In the drawings, A indicates as an entirety, the framework of the gang-plow, B the steering wheel upon which it is mounted, C the gang of plows connected thereto, and D the motors carried by the said frame and arranged to control the elevation from and lowerin to working position of the plows.

E inrieates the tractor in the form of a traction engine of which only portions of the front steering wheels and steering mechanism, the rear traction wheels, and the frame are shown.

The frame A of the gang-plow is preferably triangular in shape and comprises longitudinally arranged horizontal beams or bars l, 2. and 3, transverse beams or bars 4 and 5 supported on said longitudinal bars, and a diagonally arranged I-beam or gangplow-beam 6. All of these beams are rigidly secured together in any suitable and well known manner. The gang-plow-beam 6 is preferably, for the sake of lightness and consistent strength, a skeleton beam built up of angle plates 6', 6 at top and bottom, connected at intervals by plates 6a and suitable braces 6.

The steering wheel B is arranged in a supplemental frame in the angle between the longitudinal beam 1 and the diagonal gang-plow-beam 6, in such manner as to be on the left hand side of the frame and near the rear end thereof. The wheel is rigidly secured to an axle 7 mounted transversely in the bearings 7', 7 carried by the beams 8, 8', respectively, which also carry the lower ball race 9 of a ball bearing. the upper ball racc 9 of which is carried by the transverse bars 10, 10', secured in position between the longitudinal beamsl and 2.

11 are supporting and bracing rods. each connected at one end to the gang-plow-beam 6 either at the top or bottom thereof, and at its other end to one of the longitudinal beams of the frame correspondingly either at the top or bottom thereof.

The longitudinal beams and 3 preferably extend forward beyond the top transverse beam 4, as indicated at 2', 3', respec tively, and at their front ends carry bearing or pivot blocks 12, 12, which serve as part of the means by which the gang-plowframe -is connectedl to the tractor or engine frame. The latter is indicated' by 13. and as shown, when the frames are cornected "together 'overlaps the front end of the gaiig-nlow-frame.

14, 14, are connection brackets secured at their front ends to the tractor frame and haring their rear ends. adapted to lie adjacent -to 'the bearing blocks 12, 12. 15 is a rod or shaft extending through the rear ends of said connection .brackets and the bearing blocks 12, 12. and lield in position by pins 15', 15 at either end, which may be suitably locked to prevent their detach ment except when desired.

16, 16', are suitable han ers or supports for the shaft 15 suspende from the rear end of the tractor frame.

17 is a bar or -rod connecting the beams 2 and. 3 together near their front ends.

18, 18', are rods or bars, each secured at its rear end to the under surface of the I-'beam 5 and at its front end to the cross bar 17.

19, 19', are horizontally arranged guide sheaves mounted on lpivot `pins 19l carried bvtlie swinging arms or sheave frames 19". The pivot pins at their upper ends carry'eyes 19 which are suspended by links 19l from the rods 18 and 18', the said links permitting longitudinal movement of the sheaves 19, 19' relative yto their respective supporting rods 18. 18. The sheave frames 19" are connected to the steering mechanism for the steering wheels of the tractor in any suitaole manner according to the nature of the said mechanism. ForkillustrationJhave shown the tractor E as having the traction wheels 20, 20, supportin the rear end of the engine frame 13. and t e steering wheels 21, 21, supporting the front end thereof. These steering wheels are turned in either direction about a pivotal point central between them by means of a swinging rod 22 pivotally connected to a voke 23 connected with the steerin axle. The swinging bar 22 may be cause to swing in both irections between certain limits by means of a threaded connection 22' with a power-driven screw rod 24, tliis-particular steerin mechanism being set forth and describe in detail in my Patent 842,589, dated January 29, 1907. The screw thread mechanism is nonoverhanling and in operation holds the wheels 21 unyieldingly in any lposition to which they are turned.

25 is a cross bar connected'at either end to the adjacent frame bar 'of the tractor. 26, 26 are horizontally arranged sheaves pivotally connected to `and supported -by said cross bar 25.

.gang-plow-franie in both directions.

2T is a steering chain extending around and guided by the sheaves 26, 26', and con iiected at 27 with the swinging bar 22 ot' the steering mechanism for the steering wheels of the tractor.

28, 28 are lrods each connected at its forward end tto the adjacent end of the chain 2T and at their rear end by universal joints 28 'to the adjacent slieave-carryng frames 19".

29 is a steering chain or cable for positively rotating tlie steering wheel B ot'Ttlhe llh' chain extends around the said wheel and ri idly secured ut 29 to the rotatable frame wiich carries the wheel. From the left side of this frame the chain extends in a line as indicated at 29, to the guide sheave 19 around which it is carried and .from which 'it extends in a line 29". lts and is secured to one end of a bolt 30 which is free to more through an aperture 30 in one of the vertical connecting plates oi' the diagonal gang-plow-beain 6. 31 is a spring encircling said bolt and interposed between the said plate and a nut 30rl adjustable along the bolt. From the opposite side of the-rotatable carrying frame of the steering wheel the chain extends aloner a line 82 to the fguide slieave 19 arounc which it is directed and from which it extends along the line 32' to a bolt 33, to one end of which it is connected and which is likewise supported in one of the connecting plates in the I-beain 6 and is free to move laterally tlierethrough. 34 is a. spring encircling said bolt and interposed between said plate and a nut 33 adjustable along said bolt.

The drawings show individual plows coupled to the diagonal beam of the -niain frame and mechanism for-raising and lowering the plows but as tlie plows proper and the said mechanism constitute no part of the invention claimed in this application they need not be described.

is a watertunk secured in position upon the plow frame and adapted to carryy water for the tractor. 81 is a fuel box ikewise suitably secured u )on the plow frame and adapted to carry ucl for the tractor.

. 82 is an inlet pi e for conducting water in to the water tanc 8O and S3 is an outlet pipe for drawin it oit to the tractor. l iave found it highly desirable to provide some means for fillingthe water tank S0 with Water while the plow frame is travelin:l along in operation. To this end, the in et pipe 82 `is connected to one arm 84 of a T-coupling 84, the other arm 84 of which` in'alinement with the arm 84', is connected tov-a steam supply pipe or jet 85 communicating with a steam supply line on thetractor. The arm 84" is connected with a 'flexible hose 86 supported and carried by a swinging frame or crane 87 in such manner that the free end of the hose may be inserted in a water tank on a water cart indicated by 88, and as the cart moves along parallel with the plow frame, water may be drawn from the tank thereon into the tank 80. The steam jet 85 will direct steam into the arm 84 of the coupling 84. in such way as to create a suction or siphonic action in the hose 86.

The operation of the mechanism will be readily understood. When the plow frame is connected to the tractor frame by the coupling pivot or rod 15 and the steering rods 28, 28 are connected to the sheave frames 19", 19", if power isapplied for driving the tractor, the triangu ar plow frame will move with it wherever it oes, and in accordance with the turning o the steerin of the steering wheels of the tractor the ro s 28, 28 will act upon the steering chain 29 for the steering wheel B of the plow frame in such manner as to cause the said frame to track pro erly behind the tractor. For example, re erring to Fig. 7, if the steering wheels are turned so asV to cause the tractor to turn to the right, the rod 28 on the right hand side of the tractor will exert a pull on the chain 82 so as to turn the axle of the steering wheel B in anticlockwise direction, that is to the left, and this makes it possible and easy for the plow frame to swing in unison with the frame of the tractor, as the latter turns. If the steering wheels are turned so as to cause the tractor to turn to the left, the steering wheel B will be turned in clockwise direction, that is to the right, so as to make the plow frame track roperly. The springs 81 and 3l provide tie necessary res1liency in the steering mechanism between the tractor and the plow frame to prevent unnecessary straining of the chains, rods, and connections, and to take up any sudden jerks or shocks imparted eit 1er from the steerin wheels of the tractor or the steering whce and supportin wheel B of the plow frame.

In this appllcation I claim onl those features of my invention which involve the tractor, or parts thereof, in combination with the plow mechanism, or parts thereof, other features of myinvention being claimed in my application filed March 8, 1906, Ser. No. 394.855, of which' this application is a di- VlSlOn.

What I claim is 1. The combination of a tractor having drive wheels and steering wheels, a trailing vehicle having a main frame fiexibly couled to the tractor, a supporting and steering wheel for said frame turnable about a vertical axis, a non-yielding steering mechanism for angling the steering wheels of the tractor, a train of gower transmitting elements inter osed etween said steering mechanism or the tractor wheels and the steering wheel of the trailing vehicle, and a resilient abutment which is secured against relative bodily movement and which connects one of the elements of the said train with a relatively stationary part.

2. The combination of a tractor having driving wheels and steering wheels, a trailing vehicle having a main frame flexibly coupled to the tractor, a supporting and steering wheel for said main frame, a frame for the said wheel turnable relative to the main frame about a vertical axis, two lines of steering chain connected to said steering wheel frame and extending from opposite sides thereof cach line of chain having its extended en secured by a yieldable connection to said main frame, and flexible connections between the steering wheels of the tractor and each of said lines of steering chain.

3. The combination of a tractor having driving wheels and steering wheels, a trailing vehicle having a main lframe flexibly coupled to the tractor, a su porting and steering-wheel for said main Frame, a horizontally rotatable frame in which saidv steering wheel is mounted, a chain extending around said wheel-carrying frame and having the ends of its lines leading from opposite sides thereof connected to the main frame, a horizontally swingable bar connected to the steering wheels of the tractor, and means connecting said bar with both lines of the steering chain extending from either side of said rotatable steering wheel frame to the main frame.

4. The combination of a tractor having drive wheels and steerin wheels, a trailing vehicle having a. main grams flexibly coupled to the tractor, a horizontally rotatable steering wheel frame,a ball bearing mounted between said steering wheel frame and said main frame, a supporting and steering wheel for the mainframe mounted in said rotatable frame, a steering chain secured to said steering wheel frame and having lines extendin from either side of said frame and secure to the main frame, and means connecting the steering wheels of the tractor with the said lines of chain which extend from opposite sides of the said steering frame to the said main frame.

5. The combination of a tractor having drive wheels and steering wheels, a trailing vehicle having a main frame flexibly couled to the tractor, a sup orting and steering wheel for said main rame, a frame for the said wheel turnable relative to the main frame about a vertical axis, two lines of steering chain connected to said. steering wheel rame and extending from opposite Copies of this petent may be obtained for dve centi chain on the main frame of the trailing 10 vehicle.

In testimony whereof I nflix my signutare, in presence-of two witnesses.

WILLIAM N. SPRINGER.

Witnesses:

A. v`L. GREGORY, GEO. T. KLEIN.

each, by addressing the Commissioner ot Patents,

Washington, D. C." 

